Worldwide wine production remains stable in 2011

Wijngaard nabij Perpignan (wikipedia)
Vineyard near Perpignan (wikipedia)

Worldwide wine production in 2011 remained stable (+ 0.4%), according to newly published figures from the Office International du Vin (OIV). France takes the number one spot for the first time in five years, with production of fifty million hectoliters on a worldwide total of 270 million hectoliters, of which just over 158 million hectoliters in the EU. French production rose by nearly eleven percent since 2010. Italy, which last year was the biggest wine producer in the world, produced seventeen percent less wine for a total production of 42.2 million hectoliters. Spain produced nine percent less wine, for a total of 36.5 million hectoliters. Production fell also markedly in Greece and Portugal. The decrease is due to bad weather. Globally the surface area of vineyards decreased in 2011 with 60,000 hectares, on a total of 7.8 million hectares.